BOISE, Idaho — The home-field advantage in the BYU-Boise State series continues.

Jeremy McNichols ran for 140 yards and scored the go-ahead touchdown, and added 109 receiving yards and another score, to help the No. 14 Broncos rally past BYU, 28-27 in a wild Thursday night game at Albertson's Stadium.

The home team has won every rendition of the seven-game series between the two schools with one exception: Boise State’s 50-12 win in Provo in 2003.

Boise State quarterback Brett Rypien opened the scoring with a floater over the defense to McNichols on the third play of the game for a 76-yard touchdown pass. The running back has scored a touchdown in 19-straight games, including 12 TDs in 2016, and has 42 total touchdowns in his career.

Rypien finished with 442 yards passing, three touchdowns and two interceptions. BYU quarterback Taysom Hill completed 21-of-42 passes for 187 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions.

After a shaky first quarter, Fred Warner and Dayan Lake each returned a second-quarter interceptions for touchdowns for BYU and the Cougars added a 35-yard field goal before Cedrick Wilson’s 36-yard TD catch gave the Broncos a 21-17 halftime lead.

"The entire game, they gave us the right effort," BYU coach Kalani Sitake said. "It just didn't happen our way. I just wish we could've had two more points, or got that field goal at the end."

In the third quarter, BYU's Mitchell Juergens fully extended himself for a 33-yard catch inside the 1-yard line, and Taysom Hill scored on a quarterback keeper to give the Cougars a 24-21 with 6:55 left in the third quarter.

BYU's Rhett Almond added his second field goal, a 37-yard attempt, to give the Cougars a 27-21 lead early in the fourth quarter. But McNichols’ late score gave the Broncos back the lead, and Boise State’s David Moa blocked Almond’s 44-yard field goal attempt in the final 10 seconds to hold on for the win.

"We had to make a decision," Sitake said. "It's a good thing they took a timeout, and they blocked it and we had another chance (at a Hail Mary).

"Looking at it afterwards, I think it was the right move."

Here are a few quick thoughts on a wild ending in the Gem State.

Where’s Jamaal?

BYU running back Jamaal Williams did not play in the contest, just a week after becoming the Cougars’ all-time leading rusher in a 28-21 double-overtime win over Mississippi State.

Squally Canada started the game at tailback and ran for 36 yards on six carries in the opening quarter while Williams nursed an ankle injury. The Washington State transfer finished with a team-high 88 yards on 21 carries for BYU, and Hill added another 48 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

"Squally did well," Sitake said. "I think we were hoping Jamaal would be ready to go. But at the end, we had to take care of his healthy."

A tale of two Rypiens

Boise State’s starting signal caller threw for 205 yards and two touchdowns in the opening quarter, including long plays of 72 and 65 yards to take a 14-0 lead after 15 minutes. Rypien then had 76 yards passing in the second quarter with two interceptions and three sacks taken — before completing a 36-yard TD strike to Cedrick Wilson to take a 21-17 lead at halftime.

Butch Pau’u, Corbin Kaufusi, Trajan Pili and Solomone Wolfgramm each put pressure on the sophomore quarterback to end the half.

The sophomore was held out of the end zone until the final minute of the half before going for 317 yards passing, three touchdowns and two interceptions in the opening two quarters.

Defense carries BYU

BYU trailed just 21-17 at halftime, despite just 114 yards of total offense. The Cougars returned two interceptions for touchdowns, and forced a third turnover when Kai Nacua grabbed a fumble.

This after a Jekyll-and-Hyde performance where Rypien sliced BYU by completing 8-of-12 passes for 205 yards and 2 TDs in the first quarter. BYU forced five turnovers to take a 27-21 lead early in the fourth quarter, but only scored three points in the final stanza of the Broncos’ late rally.

"I thought we gave up way too many yards on way too many drives," Sitake said. "There were a lot of big plays that we gave up.

"I thought our guys played right, and they made some really great throws. You have to give them credit; (Rypien) made the throws when he needed to. We were able to create some disruption and get some scores. But overall, it was a team loss. There were a lot of things we could've done better in all three phases."

Extra Points

BYU backup quarterback Tanner Mangum carried out the American flag before the game. Older brother Parker Mangum was one of three alumni flag bearers just under 10 miles from home in Eagle, Idaho, along with Harland Ah You and Hans Olsen.

Boise State wide receiver Thomas Sperbeck became the Broncos’ all-time leader in career receiving yards Thursday night. Sperbeck finished with 109 yards and a touchdown on nine receptions, tied for the most 100-yard receiving games in Boise State history.

Attendance at Albertson's Stadium was 34,975 fans, nearly 2,000 short of a sellout at Lyle Smith Field.

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